Welcome to Hotel Diablo

A review and interpretation by Shelly Slade, edited by Jaclyn DeBonis.

Full disclosure: what you are about to read is a review of an album by my favorite artist. Yes, I am biased. Everybody is. More importantly, I am familiar with nearly all of his music from teenaged mixtapes to collaborations to EPs to albums.I have seen the progression musically and I think it’s time that everybody else takes notice of Machine Gun Kelly. He’s a polarizing artist - rapper, musician, actor, model. People love him and other people hate him. There are, though, a lot of people like me who had never heard of him or heard his music until recently (I discovered him in the fall of 2017). I would like to introduce you to his latest project, Hotel Diablo. This album is, essentially, a portrait of Machine Gun Kelly (real name Colson Baker) in musical form.

This is an interactive article. The first action is on you. Put this album on high quality speakers or headphones. Close your eyes. Listen to it in order, start to finish, a minimum of three times. Then come back and walk with me through Hotel Diablo.

Sex Drive is the demon disguised as an angel, wearing a halo and playing the harp to beckon you inside. Once you pass the gate, the demon throws you in the back of the car and shackles you in and floors the accelerator for the ride to Hotel Diablo.

This song is an instrumental, a collaboration with Mark Foster of Foster the People, and opened every show of the Hotel Diablo tour in June. It was hypnotic, backed with stunning visuals. But the visuals aren’t necessary to appreciate the driving energy of this song. It will take you to the door as Colson Baker opens his mind to you. Welcome to Hotel Diablo.

He is el Diablo, the general, the assassin, in charge of this establishment, and he is busting through the saloon doors off the lobby to announce his presence.

Set to a driving beat with a Latin influence, the trumpets and whoops evoke a feeling of celebration. It’s a party in a song. If you don’t know him, it’s also an introduction to where he is in his life. He has a small circle of close friends that have been with him since his teenaged days. They are a talented group who are an essential part of his music, participating in instrumentation, engineering, producing on all of his projects. They are a band of brothers that have evolved musically together, and in concert, Machine Gun Kelly becomes a band and not an individual. He keeps them close and is very reluctant to allow new people into the circle because of betrayals in the past. As a famous person, he has dealt with people who are only interested in his celebrity and this song reflects that he is wary of others’ motives. Loyalty is an essential requirement in his life. He has dealt with haters his whole career and he is not running. This song is a good foundation for the hotel. It is what we will need as we continue through the next few dark corridors.

Hollywood Whore is a the lady in the red dress exiting the room down the hall. She is a song of betrayal. As the lady walks with us, we hear her story of pain and loss. We learn why trust is such a valued commodity in this place.

This song is truly a representation of the team, with production from his bass player, Stephen Basil (Baze) and his best friend and hype man, Brandon Allen (Slim). The song has a melody that clearly pays tribute to Linkin Park’s Numb, and live drums played by Machine Gun Kelly’s drummer, J. P. Cappelletty (Rook). The chorus plays on numbers and has a tiny hint of In the End to me, starting with “First place isn’t worth it when you see it’s all (Two-faced).” At the end, we hear the warning, “City of Angels, danger!” The lights of Hollywood aren’t quite bright enough to illuminate the snakes behind the doors.

As you walk down the hall, you pass Glass House. Looking through the door, you see a shrouded figure, curled on the bed, full of despair. The room is stunning, with sparkling glass everywhere, but so dark.The silence from the figure on the bed is devastating.

The haunting vocals of Naomi Wild open the next song. Glass House is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard musically. The fact that these are some of the darkest and most painful lyrics on the album makes it even more poignant. He’s lost many friends in the last few years, and has seen others go through a similar hell to what he has experienced. This song is mourning the lost relationships and depicts a loss of hope that is nearly final. The only sign of hope is a reference to an older song, See My Tears, in the background line “I’m waiting on the rain to come and wash it all away.” Against the chorus of “throw me in the damn flames,” it feels like that is the only thing he has left to put out the fire in the pain he feels. One of the things that you will begin to notice is how effectively he uses his voice to express the different emotions he is feeling. It is clear that this is not just a song; this is personal and authentic.

The elevator stops, and the doors open into the basement. Over by the furnace, a little boy throws his Burning Memories inside and watches as they incinerate. He is severing ties with the mother who abandoned him.

The next song has a deceptively pretty instrumental, a soft jazzy medium tempo that evokes a modernized song from the past. A collaboration with Lil Skies, Burning Memories shows a maturity in recognizing that he was left behind, but that it is fully the responsibility of the mother who left him. At the same time, he understands that this is a devastating pain that has helped make him into the person he is; it has driven him to somewhere he might never have gone without it. The talk box at the end of the song nails the 70s type vibe but feels completely new.

In the penthouse, two boys are laughing at each other’s stupid jokes. Their giggling brings a sense of relief after the depths we’ve been in. The windows are open, and we get a little breeze of fresh air.

The skit with Pete Davidson is a goofy break. Listening to Pete imitate a vampire brings a smile to your face, especially as you hear the laughing of his friend in the background. According to Machine Gun Kelly, in a recent interview, he said that this was originally going to be a more scripted skit but it turned into a mess so they just used what they had. It really illustrates their friendship and lets you know he’s not alone.

We get in the elevator and press the button for the 13th floor. Across the hall is a conference room, the door open to a mob of people gathered around their boss. He is angry. The industry is coming for him, and this is the strategy meeting to meet them head on with guns blazing.

Much has been made of the fact that this song references the rap beef last fall (I’m not naming the artist as it’s been in every article about this album and it’s actually irrelevant). This song is a statement of fury over the haters and others who have blocked his career so many times. From a magazine that refused to mention him to bloggers running him down, he is tired of the disrespect and he’s ready to fight. He has an army behind him (“I never die, I multiply”) and they are not going anywhere. This is a good time to mention the movement that Machine Gun Kelly known as EST. EST stands for Everyone Stands Together and originated from a tattoo on his chest. It is a group of people who have been through pain and loss who find common understanding in his music. They wear a bandana to help identify each other, known as a black flag (also the name of a mixtape project several years ago). The song picks up the bandana and ties it around his face as he comes out with guns blazing. It also weaves in images of a mafia family with a young godfather reigning.

Hotel Diablo has a casino. At an empty Roulette table sits a man with a revolver, loaded with one bullet. He spins the chamber, puts the gun against his head and pulls the trigger. Click. Another win over death.

It was easy to identify the anger in Floor 13, and, impossibly, Roulette amps it up. It is a call to the family to get ready to ride. He and his team are rolling. The lyrics come fast and furious, getting even faster as it ends. Again, he uses his voice to clearly express his feelings. A deeper growl with a more monotone delivery emphasises his message: they’re not playing. The sound effects add to the mood. By the end of the song, you have fully experienced the wrath that is Machine Gun Kelly in this song.

In the bar, a group of men sit around a table laughing together. You have charged in here ready to go to battle, and the hilarity knocks your sword out of your hand. People don’t have to die. Yet.

The second skit is perfectly placed. His team is laughing about the concept of Truck Norris (a play on Chuck Norris), and the various voices puts you in mind of a family who know each other so well and are so relaxed with each other that when one of them starts joking the rest find it hilariously funny. The real purpose of this break, though, is to break up the anger that has been building and prepare you for the next floor.

In the corner room on the 13th floor, a man stands in front of the mirror, reflecting on all of the pieces of his past. In the shadows of the room, stands Death in his dark hood, watching the man for a sign.

Death in My Pocket also features Naomi Wild with a perfect vocal chorus, and is a walk through the darkness that has been Machine Gun Kelly’s life. From his known disdain for people taking photos of him, to the birth of his daughter at 19 which kicked his ambition into gear, we see him sharing a room with Slim, trying to repair his relationship with his father because his aunt, the family member with whom he was the closest, (who passed away in 2017) wanted it. Through it all, he has gone through pain and come out the other side feeling alive. Death in my Pocket is the beginning of a realization that in the presence of the dark beauty that is death, there is a precious moment where you realize why you need to live, the magic of a movement of love and acceptance. It is recognition that all of these things that have hurt him are what's brought him to where he is, and that he's never felt more alive.

In the alley behind the hotel, a shady character with a pocket full of illicit drugs watches for his next customer. He’s in a brightly colored tracksuit that clashes with the darkness in his eyes. He is a dealer, yes, but he is a reliever of pain. His customers both fear him and love him.

That is Candy, a bouncing wistful ode to self-medication. It is a deceptively fun song, but his voice tells a different story, sounding almost numb. Trippie Redd is featured in the second verse. Like most of the songs on this album, the music contrasts the content of the song. It’s a beat you want to dance to while he talks about ripping his heart from his chest.

Near the elevator, a heart-broken girl sobs in her room. She has given her love to someone who isn’t capable of loving her back. She has left, but she is also angry, not understanding what has gone wrong.

Madison Love is featured on Waste Love. In every word, he expresses the regret he feels at not being able to accept love. As her voice gently chides him for wasting the love he has been given, you feel his pain in a tortured echo in the background. To me, this song is the best use of his voice to induce a mood. He has been so focused on the pain in his life that he has missed many opportunities to accept love that might have helped him heal along the way. It is clear, though, that while he is sorry, he does not know how to apologize or to fix himself. Madison Love’s voice is the perfect counterpoint to his. She has a smoky sound that suits the song perfectly.

In room 5:3666, you find a temptress in white with red skinned knees, alluring in her devastation. She has her eye on somebody, ready to whisk him away to Paris at the first sign of weakness. She knows that he’ll come around sooner or later. She keeps herself where he can find her.

This song starts with the siren voice of phem, representing the desire of addiction. The song is a haunting dreamy-sounding mixture of contempt and desire, of acceptance and shame. He knows he has a problem. When he doesn’t have what he needs, he knows that he can find it easily. Access is not a problem when you’ve gotten to a certain level of success. Still, the gnawing sense of dependence is keeping him awake. This feels like a dawning of recognition. The first step to fixing a problem is to acknowledge that there is one.

We are back in the penthouse. The two boys are gone, replaced by a jubilant crowd of people celebrating being alive, dancing to a joyous-sounding anthem.

He has finally recognized that something is fucking wrong with him. I Think I'm OKAY is an anthem for those in pain, those who have been acting as if we are fine, as we turn to confront the people that have hurt us. We are not alone, even as he stands there at midnight looking to get to the next day. This song features Yungblud, with the perfect vocal complement, and Travis Barker from Blink-182 on drums. You can’t listen to this song and not feel happy even as he describes as he hurts himself sometimes. The music itself provides the hope and the joy while the lyrics say that, yes, some people use drugs to help figure out their problems. The real revelation is in the title of the song: I think I’m OKAY, with emphasis on the OKAY by them. The song doesn’t say it once, but it’s what lets you know that we’re starting to go down a better path.

Goodnight.

That completes our tour of Hotel Diablo. It has taken me dozens of lessons, playing it through every minute in order, over and over; feeling every lyric to get to an understanding that is shallow compared to the depth of Colson Baker's mind. The collaborations integrate into the message seamlessly. Each shared song feels like an organic joining of like minds. Naomi Wild, Madison Love and Phem bring the soft counterpart for the hard truths being laid out on the table. Lil Skies and Trippie Redd are the homies. They have his back even as they experience the same, but different, challenges in their careers. Yungblud and Travis Barker bring out the punk.

He and his team are here to change the world, and this album announces his arrival, again, but so loudly that it’s hard to ignore. Had you listened to everything else in his strong library of music, you would not be surprised to see that they're here. They've been coming. Machine Gun Kelly is the voice of a new generation of music that digs back to the past of his youth and comes out with something unique and unlike anything else I've ever heard. He has brought his friends and Cleveland along. They share in his success and stand for him in his struggles.

Yes, Shelly, but you're such a big fan. Of course you love it. Of course you think you can understand him. You've heard every word. You've been to over 20 shows. He has hugged you. (Sorry. Still can't believe it). You've watched the videos and the movies. You can't possibly be objective. And speaking of that, what is a 58 year-old woman doing listening to a tattooed self-proclaimed bad motherf*cker; isn’t there some Yanni waiting out there for you?

I'm not objective. I'm passionate. I am a firm believer in his talent and vision. His music has pulled me from dark places like no other music ever has. His movement has given me freedom to be who I am and to offer love to anybody who needs it. I'm totally biased as I warned at the beginning. And I may be 58, but I have never felt freer than when I’m listening to his music, whether by myself in my car, or in a crowd at a concert, or at his annual music festival he holds for fans. Acceptance is a powerful thing, and it has changed my life.

Still. This album will resonate with anybody who opens their minds and hearts and gives it a fair chance. My interpretation may seem overly dramatic, but it is coming from my heart. Every word of what I wrote is what he made me feel through this collection of gems that is Hotel Diablo. Every song is good, real music. You may feel and hear it differently. That's part of the reason we need music. It helps us understand each other and connect in an increasingly disconnected world. I could be 100% wrong on his meaning throughout the album but I'm right because that's what the music told me. It may make the 25 year old young mom feel something else. That is his genius. This is what happens when an artist pours his soul into his music.

I have seen many new fans in the last couple of weeks; people who had never heard of him. They hear one song, then go listen to another, and then another, and every single song is so good that eventually, they have listened to as much as they can and they are literally converted into EST by his passion alone.

This album doesn't need a Grammy because it is already triumphant. But it deserves one. The big one. Someday they will be honoring Machine Gun Kelly for his body of work which has been there all along, being discovered by soul after searching soul, but hidden to so many for so long. Open your ears and understand what music can be. If you need me, you’ll find me on Floor 13 of Hotel Diablo, because I checked in and I’m never leaving.

Love.

EST for life. ❌❌